Friday, October 7, 2011

The War You Don't See, a film by John Pilger



This is a remarkable documentary in which the winner of journalism's top awards for both press and broadcasting, including academy awards in the UK and US television, John Pilger, himself a renowned war reporter, questions the role the media in war. The War You Don't See asks whether mainstream news has become an integral part of war-making.

Focusing on the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Pilger reflects on the history of the relationship between the media and government in times of conflict stretching back to World War I and explores the impact on the information fed to the public of the modern day practice of public relations in the guise of 'embedding' journalists with the military.

Featuring interviews with senior figures at major UK broadcasters, the BBC and ITV, and high profile journalists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Rageh Omaar and Dan Rather, the film investigates the reporting of government claims that Iraq harboured weapons of mass destruction.